HUNGER IN AMERICA:ISSUES AND ASSISTANCE -- HUNGER IN AMERICA:ISSUES AND ASSISTANCE -- CONTENTS -- PREFACE -- THE EFFECTS OF HUNGER AND FOOD INSECURITYIN AMERICA. SUBMITTED TO: SUBCOMMITTEE ONDEPARTMENT OPERATIONS, OVERSIGHT,NUTRITION, AND FORESTRY U.S.HOUSECOMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE -- REFERENCES -- DOMESTIC FOOD ASSISTANCE: THE FARM BILLAND OTHER LEGISLATION IN THE 110THCONGRESS* -- ABSTRACT -- INTRODUCTION -- THE 2008 FARM BILL -- Background -- Food Stamps[7] -- Eligibility -- Assets -- Use of Benefits -- Benefit Levels -- State Administration -- Program Access -- Programs in Lieu of Food Stamps -- The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP)[24] -- Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP)[26] -- Community Food Projects -- Farmers' Market Nutrition Programs -- Fruits and Vegetables -- OTHER DOMESTIC FOOD ASSISTANCEISSUES AND PROPOSALS -- PROPOSED LEGISLATION -- CONGRESSIONAL ACTION -- Older Americans Act Nutrition Programs -- Simplified Summer Food Service Rules -- Suppers in after-School Programs -- Expiring Authorities[35] -- 2008 Farm Bill -- Reauthorization -- The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) -- Fruits and Vegetables -- Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) -- Community Food Projects -- Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) -- Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) -- Geographic Preference and Buy American Rules -- Puerto Rico -- Obesity Initiative -- Bill Emerson and Mickey Leland Hunger Fellowship Program -- Nutrition Monitoring -- Sense of Congress: Juvenile Obesity -- General Provisions -- Benefit Levels and Eligibility[45] -- Asset Eligibility Standards -- Program Administration and Nutrition Education -- Retailers and Use of Benefits -- Reauthorization -- The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) -- Fruits and Vegetables -- Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP).

Community Food Projects -- Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) -- Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) -- Farmers' Markets and EBT Cards -- Geographic Preference and Buy American Rules -- Puerto Rico -- Health and Nutrition Promotion Projects -- Hunger-Free Communities: Studies and Grants[48] -- Bill Emerson and Mickey Leland Hunger Fellows -- Enrolling Children for Free School Meals -- Periodic Surveys -- Nutrition Monitoring -- Team Nutrition Network -- Agriculture Policy and Public Health -- Whole Grain Pilot Project -- Report on Federal Hunger Programs -- Food Employment Empowerment and Development Program[49] -- Infrastructure and Transportation Grants -- REFERENCES -- CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS OF FOODINVENTORY: PROPOSALS FOR CHANGE* -- ABSTRACT -- TAX LAW -- Limitation on the Amount Deductible -- Carryforward -- Contributions of Property - Including Food Products -- Summary of Restrictions -- PAST LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS -- Apparently Wholesome Food -- ABBREVIATED HISTORY -- STATISTICAL TRENDS -- ISSUES AND OBSERVATIONS -- Equity Concerns -- Other Issues -- REFERENCES -- FOOD STAMP PROGRAM: USE OF ALTERNATIVEMETHODS TO APPLY FOR AND MAINTAINBENEFITS COULD BE ENHANCED BY ADDITIONALEVALUATION AND INFORMATIONON PROMISING PRACTICES* -- WHAT GAO FOUND -- WHY GAO DID THIS STUDY -- WHAT GAO RECOMMENDS -- ABBREVIATIONS -- RESULTS IN BRIEF -- BACKGROUND -- Program Participation -- Determination of Eligibility and Benefits -- The Process of Applying for and Maintaining Benefits -- ALL STATES USE MAIL AND ABOUT HALF OF STATES USE OR HAVEBEGUN DEVELOPING ON- LINE SERVICES AND CALL CENTERS TOPROVIDE ACCESS TO THE FOOD STAMP PROGRAM -- Almost All States Allow Households to Apply for Food StampBenefits and Maintain Eligibility by Mail and about Half of the StatesAre Using or Developing on-line Services.

Almost Half of States Are Using or Developing Call Centers and UsingTelephone Interviews as an Alternative to Visiting the Local Assistance Office -- States Report Taking Several Actions to HelpHouseholds Use Alternative Methods -- INFORMATION ON RESULTS IS LIMITED, BUT STATESWE REVIEWED CITE ADVANTAGES AND CHALLENGES USINGALTERNATIVE ACCESS METHODS -- Evaluation Challenges -- FEDERAL AND STATE OFFICIALS REPORT ALTERNATIVE METHODSHELP SOME HOUSEHOLDS ACCESS FOOD STAMP BENEFITS, BUTTECHNOLOGY AND STAFFING CAN PRESENT CHALLENGES -- Advantages of Alternative Methods -- Challenges to Using Alternative Methods -- STATES REPORT TAKING ACTIONS TO MAINTAIN FOOD STAMPPROGRAM INTEGRITY WHILE USING ALTERNATIVE METHODS -- State Actions to Prevent Improper Food Stamp Payments and Fraud -- State Actions to Limit Procedural Denials -- CONCLUSIONS -- RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EXECUTIVE ACTION -- Agency Comments -- APPENDIX I: OBJECTIVES, SCOPE, AND METHODOLOGY -- Survey of State Food Stamp Administrators -- State Site Visits and Structured Interviews -- Reviews of FNS Data and Relevant Studies -- APPENDIX II: STATE-BY-STATE USE OF ALTERNATIVEMETHODS AND WAIVERS OF THE FACE-TO-FACE INTERVIEW -- RELATED GAO PRODUCTS -- REFERENCES -- TESTIMONY FOR THE COMMITTEE ONAGRICULTURE'S SUB-COMMITTEE ONDEPARTMENT OPERATIONS, OVERSIGHT,NUTRITION AND FORESTRY, ON THE SHORT ANDLONG TERM EFFECTS OF HUNGER IN AMERICA -- FOOD INSECURITY IN CALIFORNIA -- Consequences of Food Insecurity in California -- Addressing -- PROBLEMS WITH FOOD STAMPS IN CALIFORNIA -- Capturing the Economic Benefits of Food Stamps to California -- TAKING ACTION -- Recent Progress -- A New Opportunity to Help Struggling Families and Our Economy -- REFERENCES.

STATEMENT OF DR.MARK NORD, SOCIOLOGIST,BEFORE THE AGRICULTURE SUBCOMMITTEE ONDEPARTMENT OPERATIONS, OVERSIGHT,NUTRITION, AND FORESTRY, JULY 23, 2008,HEARING ON THE SHORT AND LONG TERMIMPACTS OF HUNGER -- HOUSEHOLD FOOD SECURITY IN THEUNITED STATES, 2006 -- BEHIND THE STATISTICS: HOW DOES USDAMEASURE HOUSEHOLD FOOD SECURITY? -- WHAT ARE THE FOOD CONDITIONS IN HOUSEHOLDSWITH LOW AND VERY LOW FOOD SECURITY? -- HOW DOES FOOD INSECURITY RELATE TO HUNGER? -- HOUSEHOLD FOOD SECURITY IN THE UNITED STATES,2006-A FEW MORE STATISTICS -- APPENDIX A. QUESTIONS USED TO ASSESS THE FOODSECURITY OF HOUSEHOLDS IN NATIONAL SURVEYS -- TESTIMONY BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ONAGRICULTURE, SUBCOMMITTEE ON DEPARTMENTOPERATIONS,OVERSIGHT,NUTRITION, ANDFORESTRY, UNITED STATES HOUSE OFREPRESENTATIVES,HEARING: THE SHORT ANDLONG TERM EFFECTS OF HUNGER IN AMERICA,WEDNESDAY, JULY 23, 2008 -- REFERENCES -- TESTIMONY BEFORE THE U.S. HOUSE OFREPRESENTATIVES COMMITTEE ONAGRICULTURE, SUBCOMMITTEE ONDEPARTMENT OPERATIONS, OVERSIGHT,NUTRITION AND FORESTRY -- INDEX.